Mandarin Orange Chicken (gluten and dairy free)

Hello, friends! It's been a while!

These days my kids are all grown up, and life looks a little different than it did when I first started this blog. Even so, I still find myself in the kitchen several nights a week, trying to get a delicious dinner on the table. And after all these years, this little corner of the internet is still the first place I go when I'm looking for a recipe I know my family loves.

Lately I've been collecting some newer favorites that deserve a permanent home here—not only so I can find them again, but so I can share them with you, too.

This Mandarin Orange Chicken is one of those recipes. My friend Jen made it for us years ago, and after one bite I knew it was a keeper. It's become a regular in our dinner rotation because it's simple, flavorful, and everyone loves it.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is how easy it is to adapt for food allergies. It's naturally dairy-free, and the only ingredient containing gluten is the soy sauce. Simply substitute gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos, and you'll never miss the gluten. You can also adjust the sugar to your family's taste—add the full amount for a sweeter sauce or reduce it if you prefer something a little less sweet.

I hope your family enjoys this one as much as ours does!

Click here for printable recipe.   

Mandarin Orange Chicken 
Makes 6 servings

The ingredients:   

CHICKEN
1-1/4 lbs fresh boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks

1 Tbs.  paprika

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt 

3 Tbs. neutral oil (I usually use avocado oil)

ORANGE SAUCE

1 lg. (29 oz) can mandarin orange juice (reserve fruit for later in the recipe)

1 clove garlic, minced

1cup  beef broth

1/2 of a 12 ounce container  frozen orange juice concentrate

2-3 Tbs. cornstarch

2 Tbs. soy sauce (NOTE: soy sauce contains gluten, so look for coconut aminos or a gluten free soy sauce if you are making this for someone avoiding gluten  )

1 tsp. ginger
2 Tbs. sugar (optional)

ADD AT THE END

1 can  coconut milk

reserved mandarin oranges
2 cups sliced almonds, sautéed in a little oil
3-4 cups hot cooked rice

 

GETTING STARTED:   Preheat oven to 400-degrees.   Start rice cooking. 

CHICKEN DIRECTIONS:    In a medium bowl, toss fresh chopped chicken with oil, paprika, salt, and pepper.

Spread in a single layer onto a foil lined cookie sheet. 

 Bake at 400-degrees for 20 minutes, stirring once in the middle. 

SAUCE DIRECTIONS:   While the chicken is cooking, saute the garlic with a little oil. 

Then combine the juice drained from the can of mandarin oranges,

minced garlic, beef broth, and the orange juice concentrate in a large sauce pot.

 Cook over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes. 

In a small bowl whisk together cornstarch and soy sauce or coconut aminos, then slowly whisk into the orange sauce.  Add ginger and sugar (if desired) cook until thickened. 

  

TO SERVE:   Add the cooked chicken,

coconut milk,

 and reserved mandarin oranges to the sauce. 

  Serve over rice and top with the sautéed almonds.  

Roasted veggies is a perfect side with this!  

Enjoy!  

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Turkey Wild Rice Salad

Contrary to popular belief, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. It's just that in addition to the normal busyness of life with five kids, my kitchen has been in the process of getting remodeled over the last few months and cooking anything, let alone recipe trying has gone totally down the tubes.  I still don't have a fully functioning kitchen, but at least I've got the basics now (countertops, sink, and stove), so we can stop eating frozen meals--YAY!   Now I'm just hoping that I'll be back up to full speed in the kitchen by Thanksgiving.  Stay tuned for before/after pictures and more yumminess to come!  

This recipe is one that I discovered several months ago and it has quickly become a family favorite....just as much for its quick and easy preparation as for how much the whole family loves it.  As a side bonus, it also makes for great leftovers the next day.  Serve with whole grain rolls and a smoothie and you've got a wonderfully tasty, filling, and healthy meal!  

Click here for printable recipe.  

Posted by Lara.

The ingredients:

2 cups cooked, cubed turkey (I used  nitrate/nitrite free  Kirkland turkey lunchmeat from Costco)

2 cups cooked wild rice, cooked as directed on package (I used a wild rice/brown rice blend)

1-1/2 cups red grapes, halved

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped pecans

4 green onions, sliced

1 cup cubed Swiss cheese (optional)

1/3 cup raspberry vinaigrette, plus more to taste

Directions:  

Toss all ingredients in a bowl and drizzle with dressing.  Makes 4-5 servings. 

If making several hours in advance of eating,  stir together everything but the pecans and add those right before serving.

Enjoy! 

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Lemon Herbed Chicken and Veggies

This is a meal that my 12-year-old daughter made for me on Mother's Day.  She had attended a demonstration with other youth from church on how to make it and afterward she handed me a grocery list and did the rest herself.  I found it so sweet to see how excited she was about it and was delighted when it turned out legitimately very tasty.  We've since made it another four or five times and this recipe ended up being the catalyst for me to get out of my blogging rut and start posting again, because I was worried about losing the recipe that was typed up on a loose sheet of paper.  The chicken needs to marinate for a few hours, but other than that the whole thing comes together very quickly.  In fact, the rice will probably take longer to cook than the chopping and cooking of the chicken and the veggies.  I envision this recipe being a regular part of our meal rotation for a long time to come!    

I made a 1-1/2 batch for my family of 7.

Click here for printable recipe.  

Posted by Lara.

The ingredients:

MARINADE
1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs. dried parsley

2 Tbs. chopped fresh basil

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1 pkg (8-oz.) mushrooms (white or cremini), quartered

1 bell pepper (any color), chopped into large pieces

1 red onion, chopped into large pieces

Directions: 

In a gallon size Ziploc bag, combine olive oil, lemon juice, and seasonings.  Add cubed chicken and marinate for 3 hours or longer.   

Spread meat and veggies in a single layer on a large cookie sheet with sides.  Pour marinade over the top.  Broil for 15 minutes.   Or you can skewer them and grill them outdoors. 

Serve over warm rice.  

Serves 4.  Enjoy!  

Recipe Source:  from my friend Julianne 

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Indian Rice Pudding

Lately it seems like it takes all my effort just to be able to pull together an easy-to-fix dinner each night, let alone trying a new recipe and actually taking pictures of it.  Couple that with my effort to cut refined sugar out of my diet and this poor blog is getting more neglected by the week.   This recipe is one that I've had in the files for a couple of years now and one that I've been making more often now that we're trying to eat more simply. We use brown rice and coconut sugar in place of refined sugar and serve it with some fresh berries for a dessert that's wholesome and delicious!   Rice pudding looks humble, but with its subtle coconut flavor and creamy texture it's one the kids love too.  I usually make a double or triple batch and put some in their lunches for a special treat! 

Picture shown using brown rice and coconut sugar, so it's darker than it would be if you used white rice and white sugar. 

Click here for printable recipe. 

Posted by Lara.

The ingredients:
1 cup cooked long grain or basmati rice (brown or white rice is fine)

1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup sugar (it was good with coconut sugar as well)

1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup golden raisins (optional)
1/3 cup unsalted pistachios, chopped (optional)

Directions: 
In a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat, combine the cooked rice and milk. Heat until the mixture begins to boil. Decrease the heat to low and cook at a simmer until the mixture begins to thicken, stirring frequently, approximately 5 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium, add the heavy cream, coconut milk, sugar, and cinnamon and continue to cook until the mixture just begins to thicken again, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Use a whisk to help prevent the cinnamon from clumping. Once the mixture just begins to thicken, remove from the heat and stir in the raisins and pistachios (if using).

Transfer the mixture to individual serving dishes or a glass bowl and place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding, to prevent a film from forming on the surface of the pudding (we skipped the plastic wrap and didn't have any issues).

Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Enjoy! 

Recipe Adapted from:  Food Network

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Basil Chicken in Coconut-Curry Sauce

I love waking up in the morning already knowing what I'm going to make for dinner that night.  It not only gives  me a chance to do some of the prep work early in the day, but I also invariably get excited about what I'm cooking that night.    As I mixed together the spices for this Indian curry dish,  I found myself drooling even before I'd cooked a thing.  By the time I was done cooking this aromatic, super creamy (but dairy free), and  deliciously flavorful dish, I was ready start eating straight out of the pan.   Although it was a bit too "weird" tasting for a couple of my younger kids, those of us over the age of 10 totally devoured it.  In fact my husband even went so far as to start questioning me about when I would blog about it.  He knows me too well that if I don't blog about a recipe that it gets forgotten and this is one he did not want forgotten.  :) 

Recipe Source: Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book  

Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by Lara.


The ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, diced
2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ginger
1 red onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (take care not to touch the seeds)
2 Tbs. olive oil, divided
1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
1 Tbs. cornstarch
1/4 cup snipped fresh basil, chopped
Hot cooked rice

Directions:

EARLY PREP (if you like cutting down on the prep time during the dinner crunch, this part can be done early in the day):  Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces and place in a medium bowl.  In a small bowl stir together the curry powder, salt, pepper, chili powder, and ginger.  Sprinkle spice mixture over chicken.  Stir together and refrigerate until ready to use.    You can also chop the onion, garlic, and jalapeno peppers if desired. 

DINNERTIME PREP: 
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat.  When oil is hot, add onion, garlic, and jalapeno peppers and stir together.  Saute for 3-4 minutes, then remove onion mixture from pan and set aside. 

Add an additional 1 tablespoon olive oil and chicken to hot skillet and heat over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes.  Then reduce the heat to low and cook 8-10 minutes or until chicken is tender and cooked through.  Remove chicken from pan and set aside. 

In a small bowl combine coconut milk and cornstarch.   Pour into hot skillet and cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. 

Return chicken and onion mixture to skillet.  Stir together with coconut milk to combine. 

Stir in fresh basil and cook and stir about 2 minutes more. 

Makes about 4-5 servings.  Serve over hot rice. 

Enjoy! 

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Sweet and Sour Sauce

I received this recipe for Sweet and Sour Sauce a long time ago from a co-worker. I absolutely love a good sweet and sour sauce with chicken or egg rolls and I love being able to whip it up whenever I feel like it. It is so simple. You can experiment with the other things you like to add to your sauce, or you can keep it simple and eat it plain with an egg roll. This is a great way to throw in more vegetables in your dinner because the sweetness of the sauce covers up the veggies!

Click here for printable recipe. 

The Ingredients:
1/2 c water
1/2 c vinegar
3/4 c sugar (or less depending on your taste)
1/3 c ketchup
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1-2 Tbsp corn starch
1/4 c cold water

Additional ingredients that you'd like to add. For example: chicken, pineapple chunks, red or green peppers, mushrooms, pea pods, mushrooms, etc. (If you use pineapple you can use some of the juice. Just cut down on the sugar you add)

Don't forget the rice

The Directions:
Stir water, vinegar, and sugar in pan until well mixed. Add ketchup and soy sauce. Stir occasionally.
Heat over med-high heat until bubbly. Meanwhile, make a corn starch slurry.In order to thicken the sauce you'll need to add a corn starch slurry; a mixture of corn starch and water. Mix the corn starch and water together until it's all dissolved. Pour a little at a time over the bubbling mixture and it will start to thicken up. If you want it thicker, add more of the corn starch mixture. If it gets too thick, just add a little water to the sauce.
Yes, I added chicken nuggets. It's so much easier than cutting and cooking chicken to make sweet and sour chicken. This also makes a great dipping sauce for chicken nuggets. I'm working on a post on lots of ideas to use chicken nuggets. Cause let's just say that I'm getting pretty tired of plain old chicken nuggets. Stay tuned.

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